What Happened Next
by d-e-a-d-s-l-u-g
Summary: How did Katniss actually go back to Peeta at the end of Mockingjay? Here's my opinion of what happened. This is my first story so my apologies if it's bad hahahah
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N- Sorry if this is a pile of poo, I had a couple of ideas about writing a fanfic so I drew up a plot for a chapter. This is basically my view on what happened before Peeta and Katniss got back together and had kids etc. I hope you like it, and I'm open to suggestions and what could be better next time so don't hesitate to message me!**_

—-

It's been a week since I last saw Peeta. A week since I saw him making his memorial for Prim in the garden. He's crossed my mind every moment since then, but I haven't had the courage to go and see him and thank him properly. During this week, I've come back to life. Mainly because I know that I can't live like this forever, no matter how much I would like to. I'm happy enough to be sat alone, watching the dust form thicker layers upon my home; upon the person who I used to be. But I know that this is no way to live. I didn't see my country shatter around me just to wallow in my sadness for the rest of my life. Those people didn't die for me to live like that. So many people.

Over this week, I seem to remember how I'm not the only one hurting. I realise that I lost my sister, the only person in the world whom I was certain that I loved. I lost my mother when she moved to another district to save others. But Peeta lost his family. His whole family. Gone. Wiped clear and out of existence. They were never coming back. And I can't help but notice how he seems to be moving on with his life. Not sat at home staring at his fire all day, hoping for something to change and for the world to stop bothering him. This was the other reason why I wanted to change my outlook. I may have lost Prim, but Peeta lost his family.

Every morning I've woken, showered, scrubbed my matted hair with the shampoo and conditioner sent from the Capitol that's supposed to get it back to the way it was. I've cleaned my patchwork skin with all kinds of creams to help it heal. I've been desperate to remove any forms of memories from who I once was. I empty the creaky old box that held rotten logs for the fire in and added new ones. I've cleaned and dusted places that I never even knew existed but were still, sure enough, gathering dust. I empty out cupboards and clean everything until it's shiny. I find wildflowers growing in my garden and place them into vases, desperate to destroy the prolonging scent of roses hanging around in my home.

I've almost finished cleaning my room when I open my drawers and it's like uncorking a bottle of memories. What's contained in my drawers knocks me off my feet. I start to shake uncontrollably. I pick up the plant book that Peeta had illustrated beautifully. I suddenly remember how he looked when he was sketching. How his eyelashes fluttered in the sunlight that peeped through my window. How his eyebrows furrowed and creased his forehead when he was concentrating. And how his pencil glided across the page, drawing out everything I couldn't. I notice that tears are making a permanent stream down my face but I don't bother to wipe them away. I pick up the spile. I remember the arena. I remember the horror. I remember my friends. I then hold my locket and examine the faces hidden inside. My mother and Prim. Gale. So untouched by time, locked in that position forever. If only this were true. I tie the locket around my neck as I reach for the last thing in my drawer. The pearl. I close my eyes and I see his. I see him lying in the mud, I see him asleep in the cave, I see his face when he figures out that the games were a lie, I feel his lips when we kissed on the beach, I remember how he made me feel.

I'm kicked back into reality when I hear a knock at my door. For a moment, I panic. I realise the state I'm in. But then I calm down. Whoever it is at the door is most likely used to my tear stained face by now. I gently walk down the stairs and pull open the door. I'm so shocked by who's standing in front of me that I almost collapse in a heap on the floor. It's Peeta.

'hey,' he whispers softly, 'did I interrupt something?'

'no, just cleaning up a bit.' I admit, letting a smile play on the corners of my lips.

'wow,' he says as he peers around my shoulder into the kitchen, 'you have been busy!'

I smile at him. I remember how easy it is to talk to Peeta. 'would you like the come in?' I ask him as I shift to one side.

'actually, I came round because I wanted to show you something.' he mutters sheepishly.

Curiosity gets the better of me, 'what is it?' I ask.

'I think it's better if you wait and find out.' he grins, 'come on.' he reaches out for my hand and I hold it. My heart races as I remember what his touch feels like.

'wait, let's make it even more of a surprise than it already is.' he says with a cheeky grin spreading over his face. He lets go of my hand and places both over my eyes. I laugh because of how ridiculous it is that this is making me happy. He guides me around the side of our houses and stops me abruptly. 'okay, open your eyes.' he says gently as he lifts his hands from my eyes.

The thing before me is so beautiful. It's so perfect. It makes me laugh and cry all at once. He's finished his tribute to Prim in the flowers over this week. The word 'rose' is beautifully spelled out in primroses and is surrounded by all kinds of beautiful flowers. To the left of this stunning display is the thing that makes me cry the most. Out of a small bush, he's sculpted Lady. He's captured her size and happiness perfectly. He even added the ribbon around her neck, like I told him about in the cave.

'do you like it?' he adds with a sheepish grin.

'Peeta, it's perfect. It's more than perfect. I just- I know how much this would mean to her. And I hope you know how much this means to me.' my voice catches in the last sentence as another round of tears fall down my face. He smiles and wipes the tears from my face. I hold his hand to my cheek and he touches my lips with his thumb. 'Thankyou, Peeta.' I mutter through the tears and pull him into an embrace. I feel him pull me tighter to him and he rests his head on my shoulder. My hairs stand up on end as I feel his warm breath fall lightly on my neck. It feels so good to have him hold me in his arms again that I know, most certainly, I will not be the first to let go.


	2. Chapter 2

_**What Happened Next- Chapter 2**_

_** A/N- yep so here s my second chapterrrr, I was planning on hoping to get to about 4/5 reviews on the first chapter but I only got two; then I got impatient with the waiting so here s the next chapter. Taken quite a while trying to figure out how to make this chapter interesting, so feedback is absolutely, 200% wanted! (thankyou to the people who reviewed the first chapter btw, ily) right, so here it is! Oh yeah, a side note, the italics in this chapter is a dream ;)**_

_I've woken up from a deep sleep. Taking in my surroundings, I'm scared by where I am at first. I'm in a dark forest, in which I appear to be in the heart of. It's eerily quiet here. No birds sing, no deer furrow about in the undergrowth. The trees are so tall, they seem to be staring down at me, questioning why I am there. Well, if they did ask me, I wouldn't be able to give them a reasonable answer seeing as I don t know myself. Suddenly, there's a disturbance behind a tree a couple of metres from my feet. I sit up, fearing what it could be. Her face is pale and lifeless, and the bags lurking under her reddened eyes frighten me. This is not the Prim I remember._

_'Katniss' she whispers. I know she wants me to follow her, even though she didn't give me any indication she did. I guess I just know Prim; I know the way she speaks. I jump to my feet as she disappears again, leaving just as she had arrived. I sprint in the general direction which I thought she had gone. The forest darkens around me, the floor plastered with every root, weed and plant possible almost begging me to fall. But I don't. In fact, I run faster and harder, screaming her name as I go. My heartbeat is thumping in my ears and my breathing is ragged. I scream for her but she doesn't appear. I'm stopped in my tracks by the smell of smoke. I turn sharply to my left, seeing the flames lick over the trees without any effort. I scream even more, feeling the tears pour down my face. Prim runs out from behind a tree and turns to face the flames. I scream at her to step away but she doesn t listen to me. All she does is turn to face her sister, smiles gently and lets the flames engulf her body again._

I wake up screaming an inaudible scream and am practically drowning in my own tears. My throat feels like I ve swallowed about 10 sharp knives. My skin still itches from the forest I just visited in my state and I can't seem to manage to get the image of Prim being swallowed up by the flames from my head. I know that this dream will haunt me for a long time.

For around half an hour, I sit in my bed, crying out the tears that I hadn't yet cried. I rock back and forth, desperate to get this new horror out of my head; but the more I try to erase it, the further it buries into my brain. I practically jump out of my skin when Buttercup jumps through my window that had been left open. The visitor could have been a whole lot worse, so I take Buttercup's visit comforting. I notice that he's carrying a beautiful orange flower in his mouth- he most likely dug it out from the memorial Peeta made. As angry as it makes me that he could have potentially destroyed such a wonderful gift, I can t help but smile at the colour of flower Buttercup has picked from the selection. Orange. Muted orange. Like a sunset. I can't help but think of Peeta.

Buttercup springs up onto my bed and notices that I'm in distress. He mews softly and curls up on my chest just like he did with Prim when she was upset. I'm not sure how long I lie there, but I'm calmed down soon after Buttercup arrives.

I m sat between my own home and Peeta's, staring at the memorial. I'm desperately looking for the evidence of where Buttercup attacked it, but I can't find it. I give up after a minute or so. Shortly after this, I notice a small mockingjay perch on a tall flower in the garden. I smile, and whistle Rue's 4 note tune. The mockingjay looks at me intently. Then, just as they always have, it copys my tune beautifully. It bounces around to all the other mockingjays nearby and I smile, remembering Rue. Behind me, I hear a door creak open and footsteps thump nearer and nearer towards me. In no time at all, I feel him sit next to me. I glance up to him and he looks back at me.

'Did you get my flower?' he asks me quietly

'It was from you?' I ask him curiously, 'I thought Buttercup had dug it up from your garden. I was upset with him.'

Peeta chuckles before he answers me, 'yes, it was from me. I heard you this morning. I was watering her garden and I heard you screaming. I knew that I shouldn t go and startle you, so I sent you up a flower to let you know that... Well... I'm here for you.'

I smile thoughtfully, wishing that he had in fact come into my room and been there to comfort me when I woke. 'You picked orange on purpose, didn t you?'

'Haha, yeah, I did. I wondered if you would recognise it.'

'Of course I did.' I look into his eyes just as he looks into mine. I run my fingers through his blonde hair. 'Peeta, how do you deal with the pain?' I ask, feeling curious all of a sudden.

He shifts his weight underneath him before he sighs deeply. 'My pain isn't as deep as yours is, or ever will be,' he admits, 'you see, I was never loved by my family, really. I was beaten, I was underfed, and even when I was fed, the food was stale. I was the least favourite of the family, for sure. So that's why it doesn't hurt me as much.'

I remove my eyes from his gaze for a few moments to absorb what Peeta has just said to me. I can t even begin to imagine what life was like for him. 'wow, and I thought that I had it bad.'

'But Katniss, we both did. We just had different kinds of bad. But it's okay, we have each other now. I catch myself thanking God everyday for blessing me with you in my life. And I-' I see his eyes begin to water so I hold both my hands around his face.

I can't bear to watch him cry.

'Don't cry.' I whisper as I lean into him. My heart thuds and all of my senses come alive as my body realises what I am about to do. I feel his breath on my lips, with his just a few centimetres from mine. We almost touch, when we both spring backwards at an enormous crash and a rumbling belch to follow it. Haymitch.

Peeta and I jump to our feet and reach Haymitch. He's still awake, he's just lost control of his body. 'Hey, Sweetheart. How s the love life?' he slurs out. I roll my eyes and catch Peeta smiling discreetly at this remark. We place Haymitch on his sofa while I go and fetch him a flannel and dunk it in some cold water. I must say, It s not too easy to find in this house. I take it back to Haymitch where I find Peeta coaxing water into him. I smile and place the flannel onto his forehead. Haymitch sighs lightly. 'Oh, I was meant to tell you,' Haymitch pauses as he belches again, 'your mother called me earlier. Apparently your cousin s coming to see you. Says he s got something he needs to tell you.'

At first, I'm confused. Then I'm horrified. Gale. In district twelve. But then I'm confused again. 'Haymitch, why didn t my mother call me? After all, it was me who she meant to message to be left with.'

'She just said that you weren't picking up your phone, so she left a message with me. It's supposed to be urgent or something.'

These are the last words he makes out before he vomits all over the floor.

_**A/N- please review or message with views and opinions! Quite happy with this chapter. Note that I probably won t post the next chapter until I get at least 3/4 reviews. I ll leave you all with the cliffhanger! Thankyou for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N- Wow, guys! Thank you for all the reviews! I got so much feedback about my last chapter! Thrilled that you enjoyed it. I took some opinions into account and thanks to the reviews, I added in some serious plot twists. Let's just say that this is the chapter where everything kicks off ;) hahaha, I won't keep you waiting, here's the new chapter!**_

—

The woods. It's just like I remember it from all those months ago. Nothing's changed. Not the way that the plants grow under my feet, or the way that the trees dance in the wind- not even the way that the birds sing up above. It's funny how much has actually changed outside of this barbed wire fence. I now really remember why I came to the woods in the first place. All right, if I didn't come here to hunt then I wouldn't be here now, but I remember how I used to come here and sit and think. In fact, I used to do all this in the exact same place that I am now, except, I used to be accompanied by someone a lot stronger that I am.

Gale. I sit and let my mind wonder about him for a while. Why he wants to see me, why it's so urgent. And how he is. I haven't seen him since the end of the war. He left to district 2 to do some work there. Apparently it was something to do with the Capitol; he had some sort of ranking in their military. I wonder how he's doing there. I wonder if he misses me.

'Hey, Catnip.' I hear the familiar tone whisper in my ear from behind me. I almost fall off the rock I'm sat on in shock- I've never been a fan of surprises, and he knows that. He smirks at my behalf. Well, it must have been pretty funny to watch, I guess.

'Gale. I forgot how quietly you operate.' I let out.

'Well, I guess some things never change, do they?' we smile at each other for a few seconds, then he breaks the gaze we were holding so he can sit down next to me. Now, it seems, that nothing really has changed. Everything has, of course, but I like to let myself think that just for a few seconds, that things could possibly go back to the way they were. 'So, how's life back here in twelve?' he asks me.

'Different.' I admit to him, 'a lot of people left here after the war, it's odd walking through town now only to see the ruins of houses and shops.' I hold back the tears as I remember Peeta's bakery and Madge's home… Madge. How much I miss her.

'Yeah, I figured. But things are going back to normal, right? I mean, people moving back in, some homes are being rebuilt.'

'I guess, it's just such a slow process. I miss the way things used to be.' I can tell that Gale feels the same way as I do, but he holds in what he's about to say. He's changed. The old Gale would begin to rant and rave about the Capitol and the war and how people are so foolish to leave and not come back. But he doesn't. It's almost as if he's said his piece and he wants to hear mine. So I share it. 'Gale, what was it that you had to tell me? It must be urgent if you have to travel through the districts to see me.'

Gale looks at me, his expression turned hard and serious. The jokes are over now, whatever he's about to tell me is no light subject, I can tell. 'Katniss, you remember when Peeta got hijacked by the Capitol?'

I wince at the memory, 'I try not to remember it, but yes? What about it?'

'Well, when they hijacked him, they kind of… I don't know how to say it… Added a chip to him? Well, what this chip does is, they can programme him to do things. And if he doesn't want to, then they blackmail him in horrible ways. Have Haymitch or you killed, have the whole of district 12 wiped out again, including your victor's village, and the newest threat? They kill him.' I don't really understand why Gale's telling me this, but just as I open my mouth to ask him why, he answers the question for me. 'They're programming him to love you. After the hijacking, Peeta despised you so much that they had to do something about it. I mean, they had to play up the Star- Crossed lovers, right? So they chipped him, forced him to pretend to love you or he'll pay the price,' I open my mouth to protest but he continues in a louder tone, 'Katniss, he's not in love with you, it's a lie. The Capitol is still in control of your life.'

'Gale I- Just how did you even come across this information? I mean, this sounds like top secret information to me.'

'Of course it is, but I'm one of the highest ranked guys in the Capitol military system. They trust me.'

'Well how can I trust you, for all I know, you could be lying to me right now trying to persuade me into a-, a-….' I trail off, tongue tied again.

'Katniss. You know me. I'm not lying to you.'

I feel the tears build up in my eyes, I nod to Gale with a thankyou I can't quite produce with my voice right now and sprint out of the woods. Peeta… Still under the Capitol's commands? That can't be true. I don't want to let myself think of it. But Gale's right- he doesn't lie to me. Ever.

I'm struggling to catch my breath when I turn up outside Haymitch's home. He'll know what to do. I burst into the door, reluctantly closing my nose from the stench that forever lingers in his home. I hear him talking in his lounge, sounding fairly sober in my opinion. I run in just as he slams the phone down and lets out an enormous belch. 'What do you want?'

'Nice to see you too, Haymitch. Who was that?'

'Oh nobody, just an old friend. What do you want?'

I decide not to pick at the bone and don't persist with the conversation. I tell him all about what Gale had told me. Every in and every out of the conversation, desperate to straighten it out in my own head while I speak. When I'm finished I blurt out, 'It can't be true, can it, Haymitch? Would the Capitol be able to get away with it?'

'I don't know, sweetheart. This one seems tricky to me.'

'So you have no advice?'

'Not really. I think this is a pickle you're gonna have to sort out yourself.'

I'm furious with him. Absolutely furious. I storm out of his room and out the door, making sure to slam it. I bump into Peeta. Just as he begins to ask me what the matter is, I practically scream at him to leave me alone. I want to just crawl on the floor and fall into a deep sleep. I can't deal with this. Not anymore. Just when things were starting to make sense, it all got a whole lot worse than it ever has been before. I hear Peeta screaming behind me and I feel him tug at my sweater viciously but I break free. Just before I have the chance to slam my door in his angry, hijacked face, I hear him scream the word 'Mutt!' at me. Once I'm inside, the only thought I can seem to process is this:

_Help._

—_-_

_**A/N- BOOM. Well if that isn't 'kicked off' enough for you then well you need to re read some of this story because some sh*t just got real. Hahaha c': sorry about the cliffhanger! I thought Peeta's real self/hijacked self was an excellent place to leave it! Please feel free to drop me a message or a review on your opinion of the story so far, what I could improve and what you think will happen in this new plot twist. I love to hear from you all! :') xx**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N- I've said it once and I'll say it again, thankyou so much for all the positive feedback! You have no idea how much it means to a beginner to be told all of these amazing things. Another big chapter for this fanfic here, so I won't keep you waiting! Enjoy! :-)**_

—

****I can still hear Peeta lashing out on my front door, making the hinges squeak under the pressure. I can hear him screaming at me, screaming obscene words to me that makes me fear what would happen if the door was in fact to give way. I can't bare to think of what he would do to me if he found me in the state I'm in now. Haymitch is to the rescue- a bit late, yes, but rather late than never. I admire Haymitch's courage. If the situation were flipped, I would be too concerned about myself getting hurt than Haymitch or Peeta. I hear Peeta slowly, very slowly, begin to calm down. He's getting tired now but I can still hear the rage in his voice. As if Haymitch knows what I'm thinking, he attempts to carry Peeta away by the sounds of it, but in the end he decides to drag him. Peeta must be throwing some sort of fit. By this point, I'm so horrified by this day in general that my clothes are soaked in my own sweat and tears. I scream out my tears for a few more minutes until exhaustion takes over my body and I drop into a nightmare-less sleep.

When I wake up, my eyes are glued together from the tears of the past evening and my clothes are clinging to my skin. I take this as a sign to shower. I keep up my routine, I scrub my still patchwork skin and my slightly matted hair. Whatever stuff I'm using on my body is doing me some sort of good. I change into a green shirt and some black trousers and gently tie my hair in it's usual braid down my back. I step down the stairs cautiously, checking that my front door is still on it's hinges. Thankfully, it is. I prepare myself a small breakfast and plan out my day. I don't really have much to do anymore. Days like these I would usually see Peeta but I somehow think that would be a mistake right now, or I would see Gale. I think he left, though, after he'd told me about what the Capitol are doing to Peeta. I decide on one thing that I could do that would proabably while away some hours and give me some time to think- hunting. I finish up with my breakfast, clean my dish and grab my game bag, bow and arrows. I throw on my hunting jacket and my pair of leather boots that have moulded to my foot shape. I feel like the old Katniss all over again.

I exit my house quietly, planning out what I will do first, going through the stages of gutting and skinning animals in my head just to be sure that I remember from all those months ago. I still do, of course. Those kind of things stay with you. I'm kidding myself really; just trying to distract my brain from Peeta. It's not working too well, if I have to be honest. Just as I'm trying to shake the thought of him out of my head, I see him. Just sat there looking at Prim's memorial. I stop and stare for a few seconds until he notices me, too and smiles. I whip my head away from him and pick up my pace a little as if this will make him not see me. It's too late obviously as he's already calling after me, screaming for me to come back. This time, it's a different kind of scream. The screams he let out last night whilst calling me awful names were crazed, mental screams. But these are more like pleads, I can hear the sorrow hanging in his voice, the fear. These words are too much for me, right now, so I begin to run away from him and let his cries become distant. I find myself slowing down to a walk next to the ruin of District 12's Justice Building. I feel sick brewing up inside of me, trying desperately to push away all of my memories about this place. I'm running again, towards the woods. I finally meet the place where I used to crawl under every day- it's still there, the gap that I made. I slide under it and feel right at home all at once. I know this place. I know the way that the animals move from tree to tree, I know the way that the plants grow, I know the way that the wind hums out a soft tune as it sways through the trees causing them to dance along. This is the one place that I am certain I can find my way back to who I was before. Along my walk, I've been keeping a sharp eye and ear out for any signs of wildlife. A lizard, a squirrel, even a deer. That's pushing my luck slightly. Suddenly, there's a rustle in a cluster of berry bushes to my right. I fall into the shadow a tall tree is casting and quietly raise my bow to what lies behind it. A squirrel. It darts out with a haul of berries carefully stashed in it's cheeks. Ultimate focus is required. I release the arrow and I know that I've missed my usual target as soon as it leaves the bow. It's a few centimetres from the eye of the squirrel, but it's giving it enough pain to slow it down a relative amount. I've loaded another arrow into my bow before the animal even has time to try and scramble away. It's too late for it, I've released the arrow, and this time I know that I have it. And I do. I lurch forward and grab the squirrel which is, sure enough. dead. I pack it into my game bag and decide on carving a small target onto the trunk of a tree to help with my target. Besides, it couldn't hurt for a bit of practice, I haven't been hunting in months.

It takes me a while to hit the bulls' eye 5 time in a row, but I get there. I take this as a sign that I'm ready to continue with the hunting I'd already started. After a few hours of searching, loading and killing, I've managed to catch another 3 squirrels. This is a fantastic haul for me, seeing as I haven't been hunting in such a while. I decide to cook one now, as a reward for my efforts. I've finished preparing my fire and start to toast my skinned and gutted squirrel when I allow myself some thinking time. I don't want to allow myself to think that Peeta is still under the influence of the Capitol, but it does make sense. I mean, remembering how Peeta was when I saw him in District 13. Mad. Crazed. Hijacked. I could understand why Peeta would have to be tracked and forced to act like he used to. It just doesn't seem right. The way Peeta was acting towards me before I found out about this seemed so real and… Right. I mean, it didn't seem fake at all. But maybe that's what the Capitol are doing so well. _they chipped him, forced him to pretend to love you or he'll pay the price. _I remember these brutal words Gale said to me about Peeta. I don't think my brain really knows what to think for itself now, it's all such a mess.

Without any warning, I hear an enormous disturbance in some foliage behind me. The animal instinct inside me kicks in as I grab my bow and load it whilst getting to my feet. I can hear my heartbeat ringing in my ears again and I've gone hot all over. All of my senses are working at high alert and even higher right now, fearful of what could be about to lurch right into my chest at any second. When Peeta stumbles out through the bushes he looks bewildered. Like he wasn't expecting to see me here or something. 'Careful now, Peeta. Wouldn't want to get too close to a mutt now, would we?' I mock. It may have come across as a dry humoured joke, but I know that I meant it.

'What is it?' Peeta asks me sternly, flexing his jaw and tensing his arms, 'What have I done that's made you go from kissing me one day to threatening to shoot me in the chest with an arrow the next?'

'You think I don't know, don't you? Well Gale told me all about it, so there's no need in pretending anymore. Go ahead and hate me, try and rip out my throat. I'd rather be dead than alive right now, anyway.' I confess to him through gritted teeth. Peeta's expression turns from dark, to confused.

'What do you know?' he asks me wearing an almost believable confused expression on his face, 'What is it that Gale told you?'

I go along with it, finding this act more humorous than it should be, now. I explain to him all about him and the Capitol and the way that he's been blackmailed into loving me or he'll be murdered. Peeta looks horrified. 'Katniss, you're not actually going to believe all this are you? Because you know that it's not true, right?' he steps towards me when I don't answer his question, reaching out for my hand but I pull it away briskly.

'Don't even think about touching me!' I snarl to him in absolute disgust. I kick dirt over my fire and the toasted squirrel that I left on it. Before turning my back on him, I manage to spit out, 'I can't believe I trusted you.' and I run out of the woods, leaving Peeta calling and chasing after me.

The last thing I hear him say cuts through me deeper than I had imagined it would.

'_I can't believe I loved you.'_

—

_**A/N- What a way to end! I know, I'm evil ;) what do you think of all of this? What do you think Katniss will do next and finally come to her senses? Drop me a message or a review on what you think of it all so far. Am I rushing it too much? Would you like me to do Peeta's POV? Let me know, I'm always open to all of your opinions! :-) xx**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N- Sorry it's taken longer than usual to post this new chapter, I've been really busy all weekend and I haven't had a chance to sit down and write but here it is! I think some of you might be happy with this chapter (especially the ending) but I'll try not to give too much away! Here it is, chapter five! Enjoy!**_

—-

The next five or so days are spent in my bedroom. I don't get out of my bed only to use the bathroom. I don't shower. I only eat a few crackers that I found in the cupboard. During this time, all I can think of is Peeta. Occasionally Gale, but Peeta is mainly the only person who is found in my head these days.

I come to the conclusion that I miss him. Okay, so maybe he is under the Capitol's control, but that didn't stop how I felt for him. I miss the way that he smiled at me and how he stared into my eyes. And every time that I think of Peeta, I can't help but remember our almost kiss that we had a couple of weeks ago in front of the memorial for Prim. So much has changed since then. Too much. I was only just adjusting to the way that my life was, but then it changed; just like it always seems to do.

Lots of people knock on my door over the week, but I ignore them, no matter how angry or sympathetic they seem. I need time to myself, time to think things over. Time to think over the conversation I had with Gale over Peeta. I begin to think of how much simpler everything would be if I hadn't met Gale, but obviously it did. There's no point wishing on something to change from the past.

I wake up to a cold, empty bed, just as it always is. But today, it feels worse. I feel lonelier than I normally do. I feel emptier than I normally do. Goodness knows what set that off, but I know that today, no matter what I do, will be a bad one. At this thought, I hear a knock on my door. It's simple. Just three knocks. I don't know what it is that makes me do it, but I manage to bring myself up from out of my bed and down the stairs. I suddenly realise how weak I am at the knees from the little amount of food and water that I've been consuming. I add this worry to the heap of them that seems to be building with every thought I process. I gently open the door, only to see Gale standing before me. He smiles at me sympathetically but I don't return it. I don't feel like smiling; not today at least.

'You're up.' he mutters breathlessly.

'Yeah, well, it had to happen some time.' I sigh and take a small step back welcoming him in, 'what brings you round here, anyway? I thought you left town?'

'No, I'm still in town until Monday. I'm here on some Capitol business to do with the districts. All top secret.' He adds with a wink. I shift my weight awkwardly just as Gale fires a question at me, 'What's going on, Katniss? You seem different.'

'Oh, well, since that conversation we had about Peeta still being under the influence of the Capitol, we had a fight about it. You know, I asked him why he never told me and he just said that he didn't know what I was talking about. He seemed pretty sincere, but I know that you wouldn't lie to me.' Gale smirks at the last sentence that I utter. He seems pleased with himself for some sort of reason, but I don't put much thought into it.

'I'm pleased you've finally come to your senses about him. I've been waiting for this to happen for far too long, now. Listen, go shower, brush your teeth, get dressed. I'm going to make us some breakfast.' He pulls some meat out of his bag that's been wrapped in some sort of transparent film. I guess it's to keep it fresh. I nod at this suggestion, thinking that it probably would be sensible to freshen myself up seeing as I haven't performed any act of hygiene over the past five days.

I practically crawl up the stairs towards my bedroom. I pick out some decent clothes and clean underwear. I walk into the bathroom, hearing clattering sounds on the floor below. Gale must be starting up the breakfast already. I shower, taking most of my care and time on my hair which has become extremely greasy due to the lack of attention to it recently. I step out of the shower and pat myself dry. I press the button that blow dries my hair to leave it glossy and smooth effortlessly. Once I'm dry, I brush my teeth for about four minutes until they are quite literally squeaky clean, and then finally pull on my clothes. For the first time in a while, I actually look presentable.

I'm not sure how long I must have been upstairs for, but I figure it must have been at least half an hour or longer because by the time I'm downstairs, Gale is just dishing up the meal for us. It's some sort of fry up with eggs and sausages. It smells delicious. 'Gale, I never knew you could cook.' I say to him with a smile.

'Well, I can cook. It's whether I can cook _well.' _he jokes.

He places the dishes on the table, and then opens his arms to me. My heart leaps at this offer of affection so I take it. I suddenly remember Gale. I remember how his body operates. It hasn't changed since the last time I held him like this. He still carries the same woody smell around with him. His body seems stronger though; I admit, his body has always been firm and warm to the touch, but he definitely seems more muscular. Maybe he's been doing some training work for the Capitol. As I allow my mind to wonder, I feel Gale's hands slip down my body. He inches his hands further and further down until- 'Gale!' I push him away with so much force that he almost topples over. 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' I exclaim.

'Katniss,' he laughs, 'it's all right. I'll be gentle.' he whispers in my ear as he pulls me closer again.

'I thought I gave you the message that I didn't want to do this?'

'Relax, you've done it before, it's not gonna hurt.'

I blush at this. I don't say anything though because I don't think I will be able to deal with the embarrassment. But this is Gale I'm with, and he knows me better than I know myself.

'Wait, you haven't. God, Katniss, I won't believe that for a second.' He looks quite astonished. I don't dare breathe. 'Look, it's all right, you're in safe hands, I'm not going to hurt you.' He mutters. But before he has the chance to lay his hands on me, I've pushed him away again.

'Gale, I don't want it, alright? God, what is it about "no" that you don't get?' I shout at him, getting a lot angrier now than I was to start with. Something sinks in inside. And I suddenly feel so stupid that I hadn't noticed it before. 'You- you only came here so that you could be with me, didn't you?' I am so horrified I feel myself begin to shake uncontrollably. 'You sick freak!'

'What? I never ever had that intention! Why would you think something like that?'

'Because it's true! Stay away from me! Get out of my house and don't even think of coming back!' Gale is about to retort back to me, but he's cut off.

His fists have clenched so tightly together that the blood looks like it's stopped circulating in them and him eyes have pressed together to form the deadliest look I've ever seen him wear. 'You heard her.' Peeta spits to him.

'I'm sorry, I didn't know that this was a three way conversation.' Gale mirrors the look straight back to Peeta.

'Well it just did. Step away from Katniss.'

'No. I wasn't doing anything wrong.'

'Then it's clear to me that you are in fact going deaf. Even I heard her screaming at you to leave her alone and I live in another house.'

What happens next is too fast for me to understand. Gale throws himself towards Peeta but Peeta's good. Too good. I remember his strength and his hand- to- hand combat skills in the training for the 74th games. Gale has no chance up against Peeta. Punches are thrown at each other, most of them land on their opponents. Peeta's landing so many punches on Gale that I've lost count, but Gale just catches him on him jaw. I hear Peeta wail in pain. For this brief amount of time. I feel like I've frozen to the spot. But at this sound of pain, my body kicks into gear. I step towards Gale, kick him straight in the gut where he falls to the ground in agony, and I kick him out the door like a piece of rubbish.

Peeta still has his hands cradling his jaw and I see a few tears trickle down his cheek. I take him by the shoulders and sit him on my sofa whispering words of comfort to him as we go. We sit there for a while, with my head buried into his tear soaked shirt. After a few minutes, Peeta stops crying. I lift my head to his level where I pull his hands away from his face. He stares at me with reddened eyes. 'Hey.' he croaks.

'Hey.' I manage to let out in reply to him. We stare at each other for a long time, but I realise how much his jaw has swollen up. I stroke his cheek, 'let me get you some ice.' I say to him. He nods him head in return.

I rummage around in the freezer for a while and I find a suitable ice pack. I wrap it in a tea towel to make the ice a bit less of a shock to him when he applies it, but it would still be cool enough to help reduce the swelling. When I walk back to where Peeta is sitting, I see that his eyes are trained on me. I smile and he returns it graciously. I gently press the ice to his jaw and he winces slightly but then he says, 'why are you doing this for me?'

I look into his blue eyes, searching my head for a suitable answer. 'We protect each other.'

'That's what you and I do.' he says with a smile that I can't help but smile back to. I suddenly think that, despite everything we've been through, me and Peeta might make it back to the way it was.

—

_**A/N- Yay! A happy ending to a chapter for once! Not so happy for Gale I guess. Sorry to all you Gale fans out there, I just needed something big to happen in this chapter and all I could think of was Gale coming back. Sorry if I don't post for a couple of days, I'm busy with my leavers week etc. but I'll try and squeeze a chapter in somewhere along the way. Remember, I'm always thrilled to get feedback from you all, so don't hesitate to review with opinions and suggestions! xx**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N- Hey everyone! Can I just say, thankyou so much for giving me 20 reviews already! And they're all positive! Honestly, I'm so grateful for all of the feedback you have all given me. Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days, I'm coming up to the end of my school term and it's my leavers year so there's been a lot of events going on everyday and after school for me to go to so I haven't really had any time to just sit down and write. I decided to add a bit of Peeta's POV into this chapter, so I'm really curious about what you all think of it. Please feel free to let me know if you like it or not! I hope you enjoy chapter 6! :-)**_

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**Peeta s POV:**

As I'm lying in my bed, my mind races with the blur of thoughts throughout the past few days. Katniss hasn't been very clear with me lately, and I wonder if even she knows what to think anymore. This morning, I heard Katniss screaming at Gale. I knew that even though we've had a rough time lately, I couldn't leave her. So I left my house and ran straight toward s Katniss . When I entered her home, I saw Katniss screaming at Gale to leave her alone with tears threatening to pour down her face at any moment, and Gale was shouting back at her. Adrenaline was pumping through every inch of my body. I threw punches at Gale and most of them landed his face; he returned them but missed most. I was quite smug about that. In this moment of feeling smug, however, Gale landed a huge punch on my jaw which caused me to cry out in pain. I don't really remember what happened after that because my eyes jammed tight and filled with tears and my knees buckled and I fell to the floor. When I next opened my eyes, I saw a sight that I wasn't expecting to see. Katniss had sent Gale out; she had sat me down next to her; and she had her head buried in my shirt, trying to do what I assume to be doing- comforting me. She even got me ice for my jaw. My mind was racing like it hadn't before, trying to fit together the puzzle pieces. Grasping at every memory of her and trying to fit it into a reasonable explanation of why she was helping me.

_That's what you and I do, we protect each other._

I remember Katniss saying this to me that night in District 13 when we were battling against the rebellion. And when she muttered it to me when she was helping me earlier today, everything began to make sense. No matter what happens to us, we will protect each other. Because that's what we do. With all of these thoughts, I know what has to be done. I jump out of my bed with all of the strength I have. I rummage in my drawers for some sensible clothes that I can pull on quickly. I choose some shorts and a blue shirt and grab some socks that I'm wrenching on as I stumble down the stairs. I ignore the fact that it must be almost midnight. I have to see her.

**Katniss POV:**

My mind will not fall asleep. All I seem to be able to do right now is think of Peeta, and nothing else. I feel like such an idiot for believing Gale. How could I be so stupid? All Peeta has ever tried to do since being hijacked is love me, and I threw it all away from something that Gale said to me? I can't even begin to conjure a sensible explanation to this, so I can t begin to imagine what Peeta must be feeling.

_Hurt, anger, confusion, sadness, loss, betrayal._

These words are the ones that spring to mind when I think of how Peeta must be feeling. How could I be so stupid? I love Peeta. I do. I know I do. I can't help but compare what I could have had with Gale to what I could have with Peeta.

Gale- who was once my best friend, yes, but he hasn't really been living up to that standard lately, has he? He's tried to make me hate a person whom I know has been there for me, and always will be. He hasn't made any effort to consider how much of a shell of a person I have been since I lost my sister and my mother. I practically have no family anymore seeing as my mother hasn t bothered to stay in contact with me since she left the district. He lied to me. I don t even know if this is the only time, or one of the many times he has lied to me. If I've figured out about this one, how can I even begin to trust him the same way again? I can't. I come to the conclusion that Gale has done nothing but hurt me in my most vulnerable stages of my life. Okay, so he was there since I was young and helped me through the death of my father. But I can't help but think that he was only there for me because _he_ had been there._ He_ had lost his father too. Empathy. That's something that he lacks.

Peeta- who, from that moment in the games when it was announced that two victors could survive, I realised had always been there for me. He ensured that no matter what trouble I landed myself into, he would try his best to get me out of it, and get himself into it. Ever since the games have ended, Peeta has tried to understand how much I must be hurting from the loss of Prim. He made a memorial for her. He's given me my space. And all that I ve done to thank him is scream at him, saying that he s a liar.

I suddenly feel sickened with guilt and regret. I love Peeta. I have to tell him before it burns a hole into my heart.

I jump from my bed, I pull on an oversized jumper and some socks and the locket Peeta gave me. I don't care about what I look like. I know I must look like a wreck, though, seeing as all I've seemed to do this evening is cry. I push this thought out of my head; thunder down my stairs; let a smile crawl across my face; and wrench open the door.

And there he is. A few paces ahead of me, his blue eyes shining in the light of the moon. His breath creating a small cloud in front of his face. In a moment of pure impulsiveness, I throw myself at him. I press my lips to his and feel his hands move around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I wrap my arms tightly around his neck and let my hands tangle themselves in his blonde hair. He grabs at my legs and roughly pulls them up around his waist. Peeta breaks the kiss only to begin kissing down my neck and back up again, only on the way back up, he gently bites me which causes me to take a short intake of breath. We continue like this for a long time; my hands roaming all over his back and tangling into his hair and his own doing the same. I feel a deep hunger inside my stomach begin to take over my body, from the tips of my fingers all the way down to my toes. I shake with the hunger and fiercely press my lips to Peeta s once more before me breaks away. I look into his eyes, full of desire and lust. I imagine that mine must look the same. 'I've missed you so much,' he whispers to me in a croaky voice, 'don't you ever leave me like that again.'

'Not in a million years, I wouldn't dream of it.' I whisper back to him.

'Well now that you have me again, what are you going to do with me?' he murmurs to me whilst pressing his forehead to my own.

'Put you somewhere you can't get hurt.' I confess to him before dragging him into my house and continuing the kiss from right where we left off.

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_**A/N- WHEW. Well, what do we all think of this chapter? Were you happy with Peeta and Katniss having their first kiss after the games or do you think I should have waited a bit longer? Please let me know what you all think, I really value your opinions! Sorry this chapter was a bit shorter, I kinda just felt like I needed a filler chapter just dedicated to the aftermath of the fight between Peeta and Gale. Sorry if I don t post another chapter for another couple of days, I m still pretty busy with school and stuff. I m holding out for the summer when you ll probably have a chapter update ever day or two! Thankyou, again! I love you all :-) xxx**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N- Hey everyone! Can I just say now, I am so sorry I haven't updated chapter-wise in a while; I've been reallyyyyy busy lately with leavers days and things. But, I'm in the summer holidays now so I should be (fingers crossed) posting more chapters, more frequently which would be nicer for all of us! Thankyou for being so patient with me :-) **_

_**I'm quite pleased with the plot for this chapter, things start hotting up with relationships- and not just with Katniss and Peeta! I'll stop bothering you all now and let you read it for yourself. **_

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When I wake up the next morning, a surge of happiness and pleasure overwhelms me. I feel so relaxed all of a sudden. Like I have no worries. When I roll over, I discover the meaning to this feeling; Peeta was lying next to me with him arm gently draped over my hip and was wearing a sweet smile on his face, even in his sleep. I grin at the sight that lies before me and remember what happened last night. I remember running outside at about midnight to Peeta's house to apologise for how I've behaved lately, only to find him doing the very same thing. We crashed into each other and spent a long period of time kissing. It was definitely worth the wait. I remember how he made me feel when we were kissing and I knew that I needed more. I dragged him into my house and up the stairs and pulled him into my bed. Okay, so we didn't get naked or anything, but we did lie together and kiss. I remember wishing to myself over and over to be able to freeze that moment and live in it forever.

After a few minutes, Peeta pulled away from me. I gave him a quizzing expression- things were going so well, why did he want to stop? But that was soon explained. 'I love you, you know that don't you?' he whispered to me.

'Yes. And I love you too.' I replied with a smile. He soon returned and smile and gave me a short kiss on the lips, unlike the previous ones. This one was gentler, more tender and caring. 'Good.' he murmured to me in the kiss and I allowed myself to smile.

Remembering all of this, I smile to myself once again and let my hand trace down the side of Peeta's body. It's so strong and muscular, even when he's not tensing it. I bring my hand back up his body and let it rest on his jaw. I look at him for a few moments before I gently kiss him awake. His eyes flutter open and I giggle when he smiles at me. 'Good morning, beautiful.' he says to me huskily.

'Good morning, handsome.' I giggle back at him. He holds the hand that's resting on the side of his face and looks at me straight into my eyes. My heart races as he looks at me. Catching me off guard, Peeta rolls on top of me and pushes me down onto the bed and kisses me full on the mouth running his hands through my hair and grabbing at my legs. I smile into the kiss and wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him even closer to me. He breaks the kiss, only to drop small kisses all the way down my jaw, my neck and down to my collarbone. I let my hands tangle in his hair as he works his way back up the way he came. This time, however, Peeta loiters on my neck, and gives me a love bite. A small, breathless moan escapes my lips and I laugh. 'Come back up here, you.' I murmur mischievously.

'Your wish is my command, Miss Everdeen.' he replies to me. As his lips crash back to mine, our tongues entwine. Peeta reaches around my back and pulls me closer to him, resting his hand between my shoulder blades. I mirror this movement to Peeta and grab at his back, digging my fingernails into him. I feel Peeta moan in the kiss and he begins to kiss me harder. I then roll Peeta over effortlessly so I am now on top of him and we stare at each other, begging for one another.

We continue kissing immediately and Peeta bites my lower lip teasingly. I moan again, but I don't laugh this time. _This is hot! _He lets go of my lip and returns to kissing me. I deepen the kiss and allow our tongues to wrestle. I grab Peeta and pull him even closer to me, desperate not to loose him again. 'I've waited so long for this.' Peeta whispers to me in between our kisses.

'You're not the only one.' I grin back at him.

Peeta grabs me and runs his hands through my hair. I run my hand up and down the sides of his body and I'm pleased to feel him shiver at my touch. Impulsively, I reach for his shirt and tear it away from him. I feel my breathing quicken as I stare at the body before me. Peeta is so well shaped. He has a large enough six pack for my liking and he wears a few scars on his chest- I jump to the conclusion that he earned these as a memory from the games. My stomach jumps into my throat at the memory of the games, but I am slowly brought back to reality when I feel my hands graze his body. He's so warm, and I can feel his heart rate increase and I touch him. I continue to touch his beautifully shaped body as we begin kissing again when I feel my own shirt being lifted from me. _Well, I guess it's only fair. _Peeta grins sheepishly at me as he examines my own body as if it were a piece of art at a museum. He rubs his hands over my back and my stomach and I quiver at his touch. This only fuels my lust for him even more. I kiss him hard on the mouth and reach behind Peeta, pulling him closer to me. I gasp as our bare bodies touch. 'Are you okay?' Peeta pulls away from the kiss and looks at me with concerned eyes.

'No, I'm fine. I just can't believe we're actually doing this.' I admit to him.

'I know- me neither.' He whispers back.

I kiss him gently on the mouth but he isn't having any of it. Peeta immediately deepens our kiss and allows me to bite at his lips. Out of the blue, I feel Peeta's fingers snake up the insides of my legs causing me to shiver. 'Oh my God, Peeta.' I make out in between kisses. He smiles into the kiss and continues up my legs until he reaches my bed shorts. He softly touches in between my legs before continuing up my back causing me to take a short intake of breath. I feel my insides practically explode, aching for more. He just reaches the clasp on my bra when somebody knocks on my door with a matter of urgency. It comes at such an unexpected time that I leap from Peeta and fall on the other side of the bed.

There's an awkward silence for a few moments as we both remember what was about the happen. I feel my cheeks redden and allow myself to start laughing. Peeta returns the blush and begins laughing too. 'Well, I better get that. Whoever it is might be a bit confused if you answer the door of my own house.' I say to Peeta. He laughs again and I can't help but laugh back. A wave of giddiness has seemed to have swept over me. I find my bed shirt and yank it over myself. Before pulling my bedroom door open and hurtling down the stairs, I take a quick look in my mirror. My hair is all over the place and I seem to have put my shirt on backwards.

I straighten myself up so I look somewhat presentable as I bounce down the stairs. I open the door and I am shocked about who I see before me, and I think she's just as confused as I am. 'Effie?' I ask in astonishment.

'Katniss! I'm so sorry to bother you, I- oh, I must have got the wrong house.' She shifts her perfectly manicured hand over the gift that is in there, trying her best to disguise it.

'What brings you to District 12? I thought you lived in the Capital?'

'Oh, uhm, yes. I do live in the Capital, but I, uhm, came here today to do some work for the district. I must have got the wrong house.'

I clock the other houses surrounding me. There are plenty of houses here in the village, but only three of which are being lived in. My own, Peeta's and-

'You were going to Haymitch's?' I ask, completely bewildered.

'Oh, yes, just to see how he's doing. You know how it is.' She fakes a smile and tries even harder to hide the gift in her hand that has been wrapped in blue paper and finished with an elaborate blue flower decoration.

I pretend to understand her and nod my head, making sure to return the smile. 'Yeah, I know how it is.'

'Well, you, uhm, wouldn't mind pointing me in the right direction would you? I don't think Peeta would appreciate a visit from me.' Effie adds with a cheery giggle. I giggle back, remembering that Peeta isn't at his house. He's in mine. In my bed. Without his shirt on.

'Yeah, I don't think he would somehow, either. It's just that one, across from me.' I point at the correct house and she follows my line of vision to the house.

'Ah, yes! Thankyou, Katniss! I'll be sure to pop round for a catch up some other time.'

'Yes, I'd like that a lot.' I lie to her.

'Well, goodbye.' Effie mutters a bit awkwardly and I return it. I wait for her to bob off towards Haymitch's house before I close the door behind her. I rest my back against the door for a few moments and try to think. Why would Effie be going to Haymitch's house? And why had she got him a gift? It wasn't his birthday. I had it on my calender. My thoughts are interrupted by Peeta half singing- half saying, 'Oh Katniss. I'm waiting for you!' I shake my head and let a smile creep around the corners of my mouth.

'I'm coming!' I shout as I bound up the stairs towards him.

'Who was it at the door that required too much of your time for my liking?' he smirks at me mischievously as he pulls me down onto the bed next to him and I laugh.

'It was Effie. She wanted to go to Haymitch's but she got the wrong house. It was all a bit weird to be honest.'

'Effie? Haymitch? You don't think those two are… You know?'

I think about this for a moment. Well, it makes more sense than what I've been thinking. 'Oh, who knows. This is Haymitch we're talking about here.' I laugh and he returns it. He pulls me in tighter to him and kisses me gently on the lips.

_This was going to be a good day._

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_**A/N- Okay, so I'm really sorry if that was rubbish and awkward. That was my first time writing an almost-smut scene so don't hate me if it was rubbish, haha. I've changed the rating from 'K+' to 'T' because it's getting a bit more naughty now than I first imagined, hahaha :-) **_

_**I'll try to post another chapter within the week. It probably won't be tomorrow or the next day because I'm at my friends house from 11am til 9pm tomorrow and I'm seeing the Olympic Women's Football on Wednesday from 10am til 11.30pm :L I'll try to have a chapter up on Thursday but I'm not making any promises! Remember that I love reading your feedback so don't hesitate to let me know what you think! I love you all, and thankyou for your patience! :-) xx**_


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